The Voice UK’s ratings soared as the hit talent show was the most watched programme on Saturday night (Picture: PA Wire)

The new series of The Voice UK made a strong impression on 2017 as it became the most-watched programme for those of us sat at home on the sofa on a Saturday night.

Despite The X Factor hitting an all time low with its ratings last year, it looks as though singing shows are still in demand as The Voice UK was watched by an average of 5.6 million viewers and had a 27.6% audience share, according to ITV.

The audience peaked at 6.1 million viewers during the broadcast, which saw new coach Olly Murs make his debut, however the first episode – which aired from 8pm until 9.35pm – was slightly down in the ratings compared to the equivalent from last year.

After 16-year-old singer Donel Mangena impressed all four coaches with his rendition of Major Lazer and Justin Bieber’s Cold Water, where he incorporated lines from his family’s native Zimbabwean language, his beloved gran ran on stage and performed some moves of her own.